New CAD passport app.

the new CAD passport application(short forms) are
now available. No guarantor needed! Just 2
'references'. Only for previous passport holders.

So, I went to the office and the wait time was
1 hr. Got a 48 pager and the agent went thru
all the pages of my old passport(48 pages).
I had lots of old visas which fill up one
page. 48 pagers are $92.

Question:
why would she check all my old pages??

Your subject is slightly misleading, as it's a renewal application and not a new application.

Also, one must note that there are a few restrictions...

To be eligible to participate in this project, an applicant must

Anyway, the form is at http://www.ppt.gc.ca/forms/renewalDownload.aspx?lang=e

Not misleading at all. I was waiting for information on the 'New' applications.

Too bad about the restrictions. As a non-resident, looks like I'm stuck with the guarantor.

We just got forms in the UK and it is still the old nonsense - no new forms. I mean who in London has known their MAYOR for 2 years?!? Or a judge? I miss the old long list of applicable people. We also have no option for doing it in person, even for a renewal.

The forms that we got sent when we sent an email request were a mishmash of English and French, some that we needed, missed one that we did need, and only sent 1 main application when we asked for 2!

Ah, well. The joy of Canadian passports.

Dr. PITUK

You know that you can just download and print them off right?

This is for Canadians living abroad: http://www.ppt.gc.ca/abroad/index.aspx?lang=e

Regarding the guarantor policy, it's changing Oct 1, and it looks like it'll include everyone living outside of the country as well... You can be guarantors for each other.

New Guarantor Policy
On October 1, 2007, Passport Canada will introduce a simpler guarantor policy, which will allow most Canadian adult passport holders to act as guarantors.

Under this new policy, to be a guarantor, a passport holder:

• Must hold a five-year Canadian passport that is valid or has been expired for no more than one year,

• May be a family member,

• May reside at the same address as the applicant,

• Must have known the applicant for at least two years, and

• Must be a Canadian citizen 18 years of age or older and must have been 16 years of age or older when they applied for their own passport.

By moving to a Canadian passport holder criterion for guarantor declarations, Passport Canada will be able to verify guarantor information from its own database, and will not have to rely on occupational directories.

I was told on the phone Aug 13th that you cannot renew more than three months before your passport expires unless you have "a good reason". The agent agreed that travel to a place that needs 6 months left on your passport, when you have 4 or 5 months left, would be a good reason. However it would need to be backed up with proof the tickets were booked. I had a tentative trip to Singapore for 4 months before my expiry, and was told not to try to renew until I have the tickets. Ah well, the trip has been cancelled anyway, so now I'm pushing for the tickets to be issued for my November Europe trip so I can do the renewal.

It will be nice to not have to go bother my dentist for the guarantor thing. I can do everyone else's passports (even my own children - the clerk wrote "guarantor is Mom" in the margin but it all went through fine) but since my father died I don't have anyone who can do mine.

That's nonesense. If you are paying for the new passport, you are enclosing your old one, and you have accurately completed the application form, you should not be denied regular service. Make sure you apply early, and only apply in person at a Passport Office if you want a new passport in time for November.

As for the guarantor thing, it need not be a family member. You can get a friend or neighbour who has known you for at least two years, has a passport, and meets the other requirements.

Thanks. I will print off the required forms.

The new policy looks much easier for renewals. Unfortunately she will need hers before then, so we will have to mail them off to our old dentist.


Thanks,

Dr. PITUK

Yes, that is how it is now. That is not how it was 6 days ago ... I am pleased it has changed, because finding folks who could do passports was easy for everyone who knew me, but hard for me. My dad happened to be an engineer and that was why he always did mine.

I'll call back when I have a few free hours to listen to the on-hold countdown and double check the 3 month thing.

Nope, this will start October 1st.

If you apply for a new passport, do they keep your old passport or give it back to you? I'd hate to surrender mine because it holds so many memories! Also, if you have a five-year visa, what happens when your passport expires before the visa?

If you apply in person you can ask for your old passport back. I just did this. They cut a corner of the passport and stamped it "Invalid".

They also asked me if I had any visas that were valid beyond the life of the passport. I didn't, but they seem to have some kind of process, I suspect someone else can answer.

At least when I had to renew mine when the old one still had time on it, they "holed" the old passport when they gave me the new one(a machine turned it into swiss cheese style holes - still usable as a momento, but would never get through even the laxiest of security checks). My own bet about the visa is that you'd need to either renew it or transfer it. You'll have to ask the visa issuing country how to handle it.

Regarding the visa in an expired passport. I asked the passport clerk not to punch holes ("void") on the page with the visa. No problem he said. I also checked with the issuing consulate that entry would not be a problem with the still-valid visa in the old passport. (Accompanied by my current passport of course). Again, no problem, they advised. In this case, Brazil. As advised the final authority is the country of issue. Step #1, though, is to ensure active/current visa pages are not punched 'void'.